Putting an event together isn’t easy. There are so many elements that need to be organised and running on time in order to pull off a successful event that will have visitors returning year after year. An effective PR strategy should be at the forefront of any event planner’s mind. An events PR strategy will ensure you are exploring all communication avenues in a strategic manner, and delivering the right message to the right people.
But what are the do’s and don’ts of events PR!?
As the chosen PR agency for a number of leading cybersecurity and tech events such as Infosecurity Europe and Big Data London, we are well acquainted with what makes a valuable experience for an exhibitor, speaker or visitor. Here are some of our do’s and don’ts to help you on your journey to planning the best event you can.
Do:
- Carefully work out your budget
One of the most important elements of any event is budgeting. Initial conversations around the event should include discussions about budget. Knowing how much has been assigned to your event’s PR strategy is key to knowing how to plan. Once this has been agreed, you need to decipher the best means of distributing the budget effectively between your activities.
- Plan your schedule as far in advance as possible
Set your schedule early and stick to it as closely as possible. Start by making a list of everything that needs to be done (this may be better done as a team to ensure everything is thought of).
If you find putting a schedule together daunting (don’t worry, you won’t be alone) start by writing yourself a to-do list for the next couple of days, along with the desired outcome and continue to build on that. It will all become clear eventually!
- Remember the purpose of the event
When you are working to promote something day in, day out, it can be easy to get bogged down in the details and forget to look at the bigger picture.
Try to force yourself to remember the purpose of your event and why you are running it. That will help you carry out your events PR strategy more effectively. A couple of questions to stand back and ask yourself:
-What is the event about?
-Who are you speaking to?
-What do you want visitors to take away from your event?
- Communicate clearly
Clear communication is at the forefront of any effective PR strategy, but events PR places even more emphasis on this. WIth so many different stakeholders in an event, ensuring everyone is on the same page, so they know what is expected of them, better enables the team to deliver results.
- Know your audience
Who are you speaking to? Who do you want to attend your event? This information is crucial when developing, or sticking to your organisation’s tone of voice. It will also help you strategise your events PR strategy more effectively, enabling you to strategically select communication channels depending on your audience.
- Try to be creative and innovative with content
Think outside the content box! Content is ever-evolving, both in terms of how it is displayed, and also how it is absorbed. Now more than ever it is important to be fun and creative with your content in order to engage your audience.
Whilst it is important to maintain your brand’s voice, try to create shareable content. Throw some puns in there, make use of some emojis, drive engagement with a poll or survey.
Don’t:
- Try to do everything yourself
It is next to impossible to plan an event on your own. There are too many elements to both consider and implement, and trying to do it all on your own can mean elements get overlooked and mistakes get made.
Whether through an agency, or employees, rely on others and delegate. As PR agency to Europe’s leading cybersecurity event, Infosecurity Europe, we are well versed in what makes a valuable experience for an exhibitor, speaker, and visitor.
- Ignore past lessons
People will return to an event if they felt it was worth their time, but they won’t want to see the same thing again and again. Try to better both your event and yourself each year.
When wrapping up from your event, evaluate both what went well and what could be improved on. Make sure you don’t ignore what can be improved, and instead use these to effectively plan your events PR strategy to improve the event the following year.
- Make quick, rash decisions
Implementing an events PR strategy has to be done right, and requires lots of decisions to be made. It can be tempting, particularly in the more hectic times, to rush certain decisions but this is not the right thing to do.
Instead, take your time with important decisions, do your research, and be confident that the decisions you make are in the best interest of your events PR strategy.
- Leave the invitations and sign-ups to the last minute
Want people to turn up to your event? Do not delay sending invitations out. As soon as you have your date and venue confirmed, get to marketing.
Get some content out promoting event sign-ups and use event updates such as exhibitors, speakers, and itineraries to further promote your event.
- Select things solely based on budget
When event planning, you can’t escape a budget. In fact, it was our first ‘do’ because it is so important to have a budget to work towards.
However, when it comes to selecting suppliers or partners, it is important not just to consider budget, but also what will work best for you and your event. Selecting the right suppliers now will mean levelling up your event, driving a higher ROI in the future.
- Limit networking opportunities
Networking is one of the biggest driving forces behind people attending, and importantly re-attending, in-person events. And whilst networking can look different for everyone, avoid limiting these opportunities. Networking is what will stick in people’s minds, make them see the event as a success and bring them back the following year.
It can seem a daunting task to plan an event. But as we said in our blog, that is why it is important to have people around you who can help. There is a reason PR agencies such as ourselves exist. As experts in events PR, we know how to work collaboratively with your in-house team to deliver and help to create a successful event that attendees will want to return to.
If you are planning an event and are on the hunt for an events PR agency to partner with, get in touch! We would love to hear about your events and see how we might be able to work with you.